The legislation represents a rare moment of bipartisan agreement on the alleged issues of armed violence and arms control, breaking almost 30 years of deadlock on these issues.
The bill does not ban assault rifles or high-capacity missiles, nor does it significantly expand the background check requirements for arms purchases, reforms that were top priorities for Democrats a decade ago.
However, it gives states more resources to remove weapons from dangerous individuals, even if they have not been convicted of a crime, and provides billions of dollars in mental health funding.
Lawmakers who drafted the law say their goal from the beginning was to prevent mass shootings, such as the massive fatalities that left 10 people dead at a Buffalo supermarket and 21 dead at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
“I want to make sure we do something useful, something that can become law, something that can save lives,” said Sen. John Cornin, Texas’s chief Republican negotiator in the Senate on Tuesday. .
“I am pleased to report that as a result of the hard work of some senators in this House we have made some serious progress,” he said.
Senators and staff worked over the weekend and said Tuesday afternoon that they had resolved all their outstanding disagreements, giving Senate Majority Leader Charles Sumer (DN.Y.) a good chance to pass a bill before her vacation. 4th of July.
Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.), The Democrats’ chief negotiator, hailed the bill as an important milestone. “I think this week we will be passing legislation that will become the most important piece of anti-gun violence legislation that Congress has passed in 30 years. “This is an important discovery and, most importantly, it is a bipartisan discovery.”
Republican Senator Whip John Thune (RS.D.) said Tuesday that the bill is likely to pass because 10 Republican senators have already signed the framework of the principles on which the bill is based.
“My guess is that based on this fact they had 60 votes for the framework that they will have enough to pass,” he said.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said last week he would likely vote in favor of the bill, giving it at least 61 votes, enough to overcome a rift.
Negotiators broke a language stalemate to close the so-called friend’s window, which stalled talks last week.
Current law prohibits individuals from purchasing firearms if convicted of domestic violence against someone they have married, lived with or had a child with. Closing the gap will apply this law to other romantic or intimate partners.
According to the reform of the “window” of friends, offenders of domestic violence for misdemeanor will have the right to possess a firearm five years after the completion of their sentence, as long as they have not been convicted of any other violent crime during this period.
Lawmakers have argued over whether a similar rehabilitation process should be introduced to allow spouses, ex-spouses, roommates and partners who share children convicted of domestic violence to regain their gun rights.
But Democrats have refused to extend the process of restoring gun rights to a wider group.
Negotiators rushed to finalize the bill amid signs of growing Republican opposition.
Cornyn was reprimanded at the Texas Republican convention Friday when he tried to explain his efforts to repel Democrats’ calls for a gun ban and universal history checks.
But even the modest proposal to give states money to administer red flag laws and other emergency procedures has drawn strong criticism from some prominent Conservatives, including Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson.
“The red flag laws will not end the mass shootings, but the red flag laws will end the proper process,” Carlson warned Fox. “According to the red flag laws, the government does not have to prove that you did something wrong to deprive you of your most basic rights. “All it takes to punish you is a complaint.”
Eric Erickson, a conservative radio presenter and expert, warned this month “that such laws will begin to be used to attack people because of their political views.”
Legislation will provide states with money to manage so-called red flag laws and other intervention procedures to keep weapons away from people who are considered dangerous to themselves or others.
Senators who drafted the language say there will be an expedited trial to give gun owners the opportunity to challenge and overturn a court ruling that removes their firearms.
“Unless a person is convicted of a crime or found to be mentally ill, their ability to buy a firearm will not be affected by this legislation,” Cornyn told his colleagues in a speech.
Cornyn stressed that if states do not enact red flag laws with due process, they will not be eligible for federal grants.
Some Republican senators, however, say they remain hesitant about spending federal money to help states manage red flag laws.
“It’s an important issue,” said Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Who said he had heard concerns from army veterans.
Some critics of the proposal worry that veterans’ mental health records could be used to remove their weapons.
The bill will also invest more than $ 7 billion in mental health services, increase funding for school mental health and support services, and invest in programs to strengthen security measures around primary and secondary schools.
Strengthen the background check process for firearms buyers aged 18 to 21, allow greater access to juvenile delinquency records, clarify the definition of firearms dealers to include individuals selling large numbers of firearms without a federal firearms license, and combat illegal arms trade.
Cornyn noted that the enhanced history screening process for people under the age of 21 will be state-controlled.
The provision is scheduled for sunset after a 10-year period, which means Congress will have to pass new legislation in 2032 to give the National System of Criminal Records direct access to juvenile delinquency records.
One of the last hurdles within the group was how to apply the Hyde Amendment language to the bill to ensure that federal funding would not pay for abortions.
DC Juneteenth organizers ‘deeply saddened’ by March for Our Lives deadly shooting applaud bipartisan gun safety bill Cornyn said the Hyde language debate was resolved by ensuring that it applies to mandatory spending on the bill.
“It simply came to our notice then. Hyde already covers discreet expenses, but there were some that may have been mandatory expenses, which were not covered. “But I know we have resolved it in a way that preserves Hyde’s protection.”
This story was updated at 6:08 p.m.